Reader (academic rank)

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In the academic hierarchy in the United Kingdom and some universities in Australia and New Zealand, reader is the rank between senior lecturer (or principal lecturer in the New Universities) and professor. The title of Reader is given in recognition of research and scholarship.

In some systems Readers are parallel to senior lecturers (old universities) or principal lecturers (new universities); in these systems promotions to reader are made on the basis primarily of research merit while promotions to senior/principal lecturer are made on the basis of teaching ability. Readers can be primarily or totally research positions, with limited or no teaching responsibility.

In the UK, the salary range for a reader in most universities is the same as a senior lecturer. This is not the case in Australia and New Zealand where a reader's salary is in a higher category. However, some universities in the UK are following the trend to grant higher salaries for readers (e.g., the University of Strathclyde) after the National Framework Agreement.

In 2006 the University of Warwick substituted the title "Associate Professor" instead of Reader. From the end of 2007 in the University of Nottingham, senior lectureship, senior research and readership have been prefixed with associate professorship (e.g., Associate Professor (Reader), Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) and Associate Professor (Senior Research)). It is expected that this arrangement is temporary and in the end, it will follow the Warwick style. Whether this changing to North American naming conventions will spread to other institutions is uncertain as yet.

In Australia, academic ranks are now labelled "Level A" (Associate Lecturer) through to "Level E" (Professor). "Level D" is Associate Professor, but in some universities the term "Reader" is used for some people promoted to this level if the promotion is essentially only on the basis of eminence in research, but this practice appears to be declining.